Sony took up the stage at E3 2015 for their own briefing after Microsoft’s earlier in the day, and while not particularly groundbreaking, we saw some really cool announcements, including one that gamers had been waiting for since over 5 years. It started of well but sort of fizzled out by the end, but nonetheless had its fair share of surprises. Here’s everything that happened at the E3 2015 Sony PlayStation Briefing!

Sony PlayStation E3 2015 Briefing Highlights

The Last Guardian

Originally announced way back in E3 2009 as an exclusive for the PlayStation 3, The Last Guardian is the next game from the makers of the groundbreaking Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. It’s been in development since 2007 and was considered vaporware for a while since there were no announcements, but it was fantastic to see a definite release date along with a gameplay demo. The Last Guardian will incorporate elements from both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus, and follow a protagonist trying to escape from the ruins of a castle, with the help of a giant feathered gryphon like creature called ‘Trico’. Team Ico has an amazing track record, and this could turn out to be one of the best games on the PlayStation 4, so we have our fingers crossed! The Last Guardian is tentatively set to release in 2016.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Guerilla Games, developers of the Killzone series also debuted their brand new exclusive IP called Horizon: Zero Dawn. This amazing looking third person action game is set sometime in a post apocalyptic future where mankind has gone back to their hunting and scavenging roots, and technology runs amok. The trailer showed off inengine and gameplay footage, which looked nothing short of jaw dropping. Guerilla has a reputation of creating great looking games, and Horizon looks like a game every PlayStation 4 owner should get! However, there’s no release date yet.

Hitman

The Hitman series has been languishing in the background for quite a while now, the last game in the series released just about 3 years ago, so the announcement of a new installment was quite welcome. Simply titled ‘Hitman’, players get to once again step into the shoes of Agent 47, a genetically enhanced assassin, and will take place all around the world. IO Interactive has called it their most ambitious effort yet, and it’s supposed to hit stores December 8. While not exclusive to PlayStation 4, gamers on Sony’s platform will get 6 unique contracts in the year after launch. It’s also the first in the series to be constantly expanded, so the game you’ll play a couple of months after December 2015 will not be the same. The best part is that all the content will be free.

Dreams

Dreams is a new exclusive title by Media Molecule, masterminds behind the excellent LittleBigPlanet series. It’s a crowd driven game that lets players use the DualShock controller to create ‘Dreams’, and share their experiences with each other. Think of it as something like Project Spark, only more artistic. It looks very interesting, and considering the fact that the LittleBigPlanet series used player creativity to the fullest, this could be a title to look out for. Check out the trailer to understand what we mean.

Firewatch

One of the most intriguing and quirky indies we’ve seen, Firewatch is a new game that follows Henry, a fire lookout in the Wyoming Forest, set in 1989. He’s guided by a a female named Delilah over walkie talkie, and is tasked with investigating mysterious disappearances in the forest. He later finds out that his lookout tower has been taken over by an unknown character, and must unravel the mystery. It all sounds very dark and heavy, but the witty banter between Henry and Delilah is one of the highlights of the game. Firewatch will make its console debut on PlayStation 4.

Final Fantasy VII Remake and World of Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy VII is considered to be one of the best RPG games of all time. Originally released in 1997 for the PlayStation, it was the first in the series to feature 3D graphics, and has built a legacy for the ages. So when Square Enix announced a remake with a CG trailer, the prayers of thousands of gamers around the world were answered. Coming first to Sony’s platform, Final Fantasy VII will hit the PlayStation 4 as a timed exclusive.

And that wasn’t all the Final Fantasy news this briefing, Square Enix also announced a new game called World of Final Fantasy, featuring the protagonists from the series in a more fun and cartoony avatar. Not much was revealed apart from a short trailer, but its set to release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2016, then on rival platforms later.

Shenmue 3

The biggest surprise of the evening was when legendary developer Yu Suzuki announced the Shenmue 3 is real! One of the greatest franchises in gaming history is all set to return in 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Yu Suzuki announced a Kickstarter campaign for 2 million USD to fund the epic third installment in the Shenmue saga, and made half that amount in just 1 hour 40 minutes. As of now the goal has already been crossed, so we’re definitely going to see Ryo Hazuki’s story being continued. For the uninitiated, Shenmue was a pioneer in the open world adventure genre, and featured amazing cinema quality immersion, and a plot that has everything you’d ever want. There was mystery, drama, action, romance and a world that truly felt alive. With the power of Unreal Engine 4, we can’t wait to see how the series will be concluded!

Exclusive Content

Bungie Studio’s Destiny will get a new expansion this fall, called The Taken King, and allow players to fight current raid boss Crota’s father, Oryx. Along with this announcement, it was also revealed that PlayStation 4 players will get exclusive content, just like the original game. Speaking of exclusive content, it was also revealed that Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Call of Duty Black Ops III will bring exclusive content first to PlayStation 4 gamers, with the Call of Duty series signing a deal with Sony to bring all forthcoming content first to its platform. It was also revealed that the Black Ops III beta will hit this August, first for PlayStation 4.

Star Wars Battlefront

EA also took to the stage to show off some gameplay from the much anticipated Star Wars Battlefront, and boy it looked awesome. This multiplayer only game set in the Star Wars universe will let players face off against each other as part of classic factions such as the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, and will also feature playable hero characters such as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Battlefront will release on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 17.

PlayStation Vue

Sony’s cloud based TV service called PlayStation Vue was also talked about, where it was revealed that users will be able to subscribe to individual channels instead of bundles, and it includes channels like Showtime and Fox Soccer at launch. The service is being rolled out to Los Angeles and San Francisco first, with PlayStation Plus subscribers getting discounted rates.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Even though it’s been pushed back to 2016, we were extremely excited to see more footage from the much awaited Uncharted 4. The next installment in the Uncharted series was revealed almost 2 years ago, so the gameplay footage was much welcome. As expected, it was action packed and truly gorgeous, showing Nathan fight his way through a crowded city. Despite all the action, the game was buttery smooth, so we can’t wait to see how the final product turns out!

No Man’s Sky

And finally, we got to see more of the extremely ambitious No Man’s Sky, from Hello Games. This console exclusive adventure game allows players to explore uncharted and randomly generated worlds, which means that there’s theoretically endless possibilities and worlds to explore. Now know what we mean by ambitious? A new live gameplay demo was shown off on the floor with a space battle. Check out the demo for more!

So there you have it, everything you need to know about the Sony PlayStation E3 2015 Briefing! What did you think about it? Was it better than Microsoft’s, or was it lackluster? Let us know via the comments below!

About The Author

Rahul Gondane is a huge technophile and gamer, who has been obsessed with everything tech ever since he was a wee lad. He also enjoys reading books, listening to music and watching movies. Rahul is the Chief Operating Officer of Pyrite Technologies Pvt. Ltd.